Parametric assessment of myocardial perfusion during interventional cardiac catheterization by means of X-ray densitometry-short-and long-term results.

X-ray densitometric evaluation of digital subtraction angiocardiograms allows an assessment of myocardial perfusion by means of the parameter 'MEAN RISE TIME' (MRT), defined as the time from the onset of local myocardial contrast medium opacification to the point of maximum opacification. Best results are obtained when the response of that parameter is compared before and after stimulation of coronary flow by papaverine. A prolongation of this parameter, especially after papaverine, was indicative of an impairment of myocardial perfusion, when compared to the results of TL-201 scintigraphy. In 50 patients with single vessel coronary artery disease the results of MRT pre and post papaverine before and after coronary angioplasty, as well as after 6 months were evaluated for 204 post-stenotic regions-of-interest. Before angioplasty papaverine induced a significant prolongation of post-stenotic MRT was measured 2.3 s +/- 0.9 s vs 3.1s +/- 0.8s; p less than 0.01), while after successful angioplasty post-stenotic MRT was measured significantly shorter after stimulation of coronary flow (2.6s +/- 1.0s vs. 1.9s +/- 0.9s; p less than 0.01). This indicated an improvement in myocardial perfusion. Nevertheless, 16/50 patients still presented pathological results of post-stenotic MRT after papaverine, although angioplasty was regarded successful. These patients presented a markedly higher rate of restenosis (14/16 patients after 6 months), a higher rate of dissections at the dilation site and a higher rate of dilated vessels, supplying myocardial areas after a Q-wave myocardial infarction. Thus, these results demonstrate the additional information about the short-and long-term outcome of an angioplasty procedure by densitometric myocardial perfusion analysis.